EngineDetail

[anopanjo]

Hey all, i have seen tips on wiring before etc but some people do realy good jobs in the engine detail. I realy want to no how to add the extra details that make it look 100 times better and awesum, i have read some tutorials but i need the best of the best(or good tips) and not just on which shows u how to do spark plugs etc,i want one what shows u a few other things to?? Wat i mainly want to no is wen i like make a wire then wen i glue it into wat i want it to go into i want the end to look ike a bold etc, i see people scratchbuild this stuf but how!! help out a poor soul like me lol!! if i get somehelp that would be great! and very appreciated!

[MPWR]

Man, I can't even read that. Any chance you can restate your question in real English? Puctuation, capitalization and your best attempt at spelling is a must here. Skip the AIMspeak.

[anopanjo]

Hey all, i have seen tips on wiring before but some people do a realy good job when it comes down to engine detail. I realy want to no how to add the extra details that make it look 100 times better and make it more realistic, i have read some tutorials but they dont seem to help because they are just small details. I want some great tutorials but not just on which shows u how to do spark plugs etc, i want one what shows u a few other things to?? I see people scratchbuild this stuf and some really good things aswell, and they look so realistic! but how!! help out a poor soul like me lol!! if i get some help that would be great! and very appreciated!

[anopanjo]

is that better??

[MPWR]

Wow, much.

Really the best answer I can give you is to research the engine you're trying to build. Due to the vastly different designs and configurations of engines, it's really difficult to make a How-to covering all (or even alot of) engines. If I were to post a How-to on wiring the ignition system Ferrari Testarossa engine, it would be useless even for other Ferrari's made during the same period (a Testarossa has a 12cyl boxer, two distributors each serve one half of the engine- an F40 has an electronic ignition V8, with four individual coil packs each serving two cylinders). But a decent picture or two of each engine will quickly tell you where the plug wires lead. The skills involved for installing the wires are pretty simple- drill tiny holes, insert wires. As for other stuff, what does your engine need? Often the igniton system and some hoses running to and from the radiator are all that's needed (two lines, one in and one out- but if the car has an overflow reservoir you can add another small line leading to it from the radiator)- others will have complicated turbo plumbing or dry sump oil systems, etc. But hooking up an engine really is just a matter of getting some pics, figuring out what you're looking at, and making you engine look the one in the pics.

[anopanjo]

currently im working on a S15 and i have a sr20det for it! can u point out the parts in the engine for me pls so i can work from that and can u tel me were i need to install wires?? pls that would be great! here is a pic for it thnx!

[klutz_100]

Originally Posted by anopanjo

is that better??

Are you serious? Or are you just taking the piss?

[hirofkd]

On the SR20 engine, the plug wires are hidden under the cover in the middle, so you can't see it. But you can add other details like brake and fuel lines, etc. And I think those blue lines are for grounding, and they add a touch of performance-oriented look.

[tigeraid]

It really is all about good reference pictures. And honestly, the limit is how far overboard you want to go. For hoses, in that S15 for example, you could go absolutely crazy getting all of them, and it'd end up looking pretty cluttered IMO, so unless you're going for a 100% stock buildup for a show, I would just stick to the major stuff. Here's what I usually add to my engine bays (granted, usually American musclecars...)

1. Battery and battery wiring

2. Any and all underhood stickers (emmissions, engine info, belt routing)

3. plug wires (this is a given--get a pin vise set so you can drill out their locations--as mentioned though, the ones on the S15 are hidden anyway)

4. Heater hoses. Unless it's a racecar, it should have a couple of hoses off the heater core running to the side of the water pump area. Same goes for A/C hoses. I use either Detail Master hoses, or I use .062" solder, and paint it flat black.

5. Hose clamps. You can either paint a very thin line around the hoses where they enter and exit the engine and rad, or you can use really small gauge bare wire, and twist it around it.

6. Blackwash. On any parts of the engine that are supposed to be bare steel or aluminum, I like to do a very light blackwash (that's about 80% thinner, 40% flat black mixed together) to give it a feeling of depth, and also light road grime to make it look realistic.

7. Carb linkage. Assuming it has carbs.

8. Brake lines. Just off the master cylinder. Unless I'm doing seriously detailed work, I don't run the brake lines throughout the whole car, but I do run them, curled around a pin (to give them the spiral shape) off of the master cylinder, down and then under the firewall. Really helps the master cylinder stand out. I also run a hose or solder off of the brake booster to the intake manifold, if it has power brakes.

9. Paint the small raised details that some firewalls have with a series of metal and black shades to make them stand out.

Those are just some suggestions. As I said you can get far more detailed, but keep in mind that the more stuff you cram in there, the more it tends to take away from the beauty of it all. Here's a couple examples of my engine bays--bear in mind, I don't always do all the things I listed:











As you can see I hardly ever go overboard--it's just a question of adding detail by detail until you feel it really brought the engine to life.

Hope this helps!